Free-flight model airplane used by Angela Pagones Cunnyngham at the 1936 Mississippi Valley Competition

Courtesy of Vic Cunnyngham Jr.
#27214

History
Vic Cunnyngham and Angela Pagones Cunnyngham, who married in 1935, shared a passion for building and flying model aircraft. At the 1936 competition at Curtiss-Steinberg Field near East St. Louis, she placed third and he placed sixth. Angelica brought two entries to the field that day, and one was lost "out of sight" because of Wind currents.

The model plane (pictured left) is an example of a twin pusher model airplane that was popular in the 1930s. The model's thin wooden frame and fine Japanese tissue paper wings are covered with nitrate dope. Dope is a plasticizing lacquer that is used to strengthen and protect the model plane. The plane is propelled by two rubber bands connected to either propeller.

To fly the plane, the pilot twists the rubber bands by turning the propellers. Once the propellers are released, the rubber bands will unwind, turning the propellers and producing flight.